Audit 317869

FY End
2023-06-30
Total Expended
$12.49M
Findings
4
Programs
8
Organization: City of South Gate (CA)
Year: 2023 Accepted: 2024-08-26
Auditor: Davis Farr LLP

Organization Exclusion Status:

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Findings

ID Ref Severity Repeat Requirement
485087 2023-005 Significant Deficiency Yes B
485088 2023-006 - Yes L
1061529 2023-005 Significant Deficiency Yes B
1061530 2023-006 - Yes L

Contacts

Name Title Type
WL7DME3FJSW4 Wendy O'Kelly Auditee
3235639522 Jennifer Farr Auditor
No contacts on file

Notes to SEFA

Accounting Policies: Expenditures reported on the Schedule are reported on the modified-accrual basis ofaccounting for those grants that were recorded in governmental funds, and on theaccrual basis of accounting for those grants that were recorded in proprietary funds.Such expenditures for part of the year are recognized following the cost principlescontained in OMB Circular 87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian TribalGovernments, and for part of the year contained in Uniform AdministrativeRequirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards whereincertain types of expenditures are not allowable or are limited as to reimbursement.Pass-through entity identifying numbers are presented where available. De Minimis Rate Used: N Rate Explanation: The auditee did not use the de minimis cost rate.

Finding Details

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury CFDA No.: 14.218 Federal Program: Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants Federal Award Year: 2023 Control Category: Allowable Costs Questioned Costs: $2,316 Condition The City charged CDBG payroll expenses to the program based a timesheet allocation and did not adjust the charges to reconcile to actual time incurred per employee timesheets. Criteria 2 CFR 200.430(i), Standards for Documentation of Personnel Expenses, states, in part: “Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed…” Charges must “support the distribution of the employee's salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more than one Federal award;…” And “budget estimates (i.e., estimates determined before the services are performed) alone do not qualify as support for charges to Federal awards.” Cause The City's payroll system charges time for employees each pay period based on an allocation rather than actual hours documented on the employee’s timesheet. Effect Payroll costs charged to the program were greater than amounts supported by the documentation. Questioned Costs There were questioned costs in the amount of $2,316. Recommendation We recommend that the City charge time to the program based on actual hours worked per the employees' timesheets. Management’s Response Regarding Corrective Action Taken or Planned Management acknowledges the importance of ensuring that payroll costs charged to the program are consistent between the payroll system and the employee’s timesheet. The City continues to monitor its internal control process to ensure thorough review procedures are being followed. Timesheets are reviewed, bi-weekly, by payroll and adjusted to reflect actual hours as they relate to a specific activity. The City was able to hire a permanent accountant hiring who will provide additional oversight of these processes ensuring that hours worked are both reported correctly on the timesheets and are following the funding allocations that are approved by the grant.
Federal Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development CFDA No.: 14.218 Federal Program: Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants Federal Award Year: 2023 Control Category: Reporting Questioned Costs: $0 Condition For the Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants program, the City did not submit the following reports within the required deadline: Report Type Reporting Period (End Date) Report Submission Deadline Report Submission Date SF-425 Federal Financial Report September 30, 2022 October 30, 2022 March 7, 2023 SF-425 Federal Financial Report December 31, 2022 January 30, 2023 March 7, 2023 SF-425 Federal Financial Report March 31, 2023 April 30, 2023 May 3, 2023 Criteria Pursuant to the Part 4 CDBG – Entitlement Grants Cluster and financial and performance reporting requirements in the cooperative agreement provisions, and 2 CFR 200.327: SF-425 Federal Financial Report: Program award recipients must submit SF 425 reports to HUD quarterly, 30 days after the reporting period end date. Each report must cover all expenditures on the cooperative agreement from the start date of the reporting period to the reporting period end date. The following federal fiscal year quarter reporting period will be used for all quarterly reports, are due to HUD 30 days after the period end dates. Cause The City did not have internal controls in place to ensure that financial and performance reports are filed timely. Effect Delay in filing the reports resulted in non-compliance with the compliance requirements. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs. Recommendation We recommend that the City strengthen internal controls by implementing procedures to ensure the timely filing of financial and performance reports. Management’s Response Regarding Corrective Action Taken or Planned Management agrees with the finding. In 2023, shortly after management was made aware procedures were put into place to properly oversee the timely submission of the SF-425 financial reports.
Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Treasury CFDA No.: 14.218 Federal Program: Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants Federal Award Year: 2023 Control Category: Allowable Costs Questioned Costs: $2,316 Condition The City charged CDBG payroll expenses to the program based a timesheet allocation and did not adjust the charges to reconcile to actual time incurred per employee timesheets. Criteria 2 CFR 200.430(i), Standards for Documentation of Personnel Expenses, states, in part: “Charges to Federal awards for salaries and wages must be based on records that accurately reflect the work performed…” Charges must “support the distribution of the employee's salary or wages among specific activities or cost objectives if the employee works on more than one Federal award;…” And “budget estimates (i.e., estimates determined before the services are performed) alone do not qualify as support for charges to Federal awards.” Cause The City's payroll system charges time for employees each pay period based on an allocation rather than actual hours documented on the employee’s timesheet. Effect Payroll costs charged to the program were greater than amounts supported by the documentation. Questioned Costs There were questioned costs in the amount of $2,316. Recommendation We recommend that the City charge time to the program based on actual hours worked per the employees' timesheets. Management’s Response Regarding Corrective Action Taken or Planned Management acknowledges the importance of ensuring that payroll costs charged to the program are consistent between the payroll system and the employee’s timesheet. The City continues to monitor its internal control process to ensure thorough review procedures are being followed. Timesheets are reviewed, bi-weekly, by payroll and adjusted to reflect actual hours as they relate to a specific activity. The City was able to hire a permanent accountant hiring who will provide additional oversight of these processes ensuring that hours worked are both reported correctly on the timesheets and are following the funding allocations that are approved by the grant.
Federal Agency: Department of Housing and Urban Development CFDA No.: 14.218 Federal Program: Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants Federal Award Year: 2023 Control Category: Reporting Questioned Costs: $0 Condition For the Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement Grants program, the City did not submit the following reports within the required deadline: Report Type Reporting Period (End Date) Report Submission Deadline Report Submission Date SF-425 Federal Financial Report September 30, 2022 October 30, 2022 March 7, 2023 SF-425 Federal Financial Report December 31, 2022 January 30, 2023 March 7, 2023 SF-425 Federal Financial Report March 31, 2023 April 30, 2023 May 3, 2023 Criteria Pursuant to the Part 4 CDBG – Entitlement Grants Cluster and financial and performance reporting requirements in the cooperative agreement provisions, and 2 CFR 200.327: SF-425 Federal Financial Report: Program award recipients must submit SF 425 reports to HUD quarterly, 30 days after the reporting period end date. Each report must cover all expenditures on the cooperative agreement from the start date of the reporting period to the reporting period end date. The following federal fiscal year quarter reporting period will be used for all quarterly reports, are due to HUD 30 days after the period end dates. Cause The City did not have internal controls in place to ensure that financial and performance reports are filed timely. Effect Delay in filing the reports resulted in non-compliance with the compliance requirements. Questioned Costs There were no questioned costs. Recommendation We recommend that the City strengthen internal controls by implementing procedures to ensure the timely filing of financial and performance reports. Management’s Response Regarding Corrective Action Taken or Planned Management agrees with the finding. In 2023, shortly after management was made aware procedures were put into place to properly oversee the timely submission of the SF-425 financial reports.